


Spirit of the Forest

by Riniginianna



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Shiro, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Galra Keith, Gen, Human Shay, Katie hates nature, Lance has human form, Minor Hunay, Pidge is an alias, Pidge is the chosen one, Saving the World, Siren Lance, rover is a dog
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 07:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14613198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riniginianna/pseuds/Riniginianna
Summary: Katie Holt has never been one for the outdoors. Too dirty, too many allergies, and too many creepy crawlies. No, Katie would rather stay indoors and work on computers.But that would all change. When her brother Matt is captured on a fateful camping trip by strange, humanoid monsters, Katie finds herself wrapped up in a war. One in a world she never new existed.Now Pidge Gunderson must find her brother and save the world of Altea from the Galra. Along with a noble prince, a lonely assassin, a playful siren, a local baker, a good witch and a warlock, along with her faithful dog Rover. Becoming the Guardian of the Forest.





	1. Prologue- A World Away

_In the beginning of the a world- one much different than you and I know, filled with magic and monsters-there were four talismans created by the god Voltron: Fire, Water, Earth, and Sky. He gave these talismans to a worthy group of guardians to balance their world and bring peace to all._

_Fire was gifted to the King of Altea, Alfor. A noble man and a gentle ruler, loved by all his people. He was just, and a fearless warrior with a brave spirit._

_Water was gifted to a simple merchant. Blaytz the Ocean Rider. He understood the way of the water from his travels on the sea and spread its flowing joy wherever he traveled._

_Earth was gifted to a worker of the soil, Gyrgan. The farmer made the ground fertile;food became plentiful in his kingdom as well as all the others._

_Sky was gifted to Emperor Zarkon of the kingdom of Daibazal, the land across the sea. He and his people, the Galra, were proficient in technology; their inventions taking to air and sea to better their world._

_The bearers of these talismans wielded the powers of the elements, becoming the protectors of their world. And they were. For many years Peace reigned in the Kingdoms._

_However, peace would not last. The guardian of the sky grew bitter and resentful. Seeking power where he could gain it. Zarkon felt his kingdom was not being given the recognition it deserved. He was sharing his power with commoners. He was an Emperor!_

_He felt Altor was weak to allow this to continue. It must stop now. Zarkon pulled his people out of the Alliance with the Alteans. He focused his empire's resources on his inventions. He was preparing for war._

_The other guardians tried to reason with him. That they were not looking for a rift between them. Alfor begged Zarkon to reconsider, that their friendship would not be destroyed. But Zarkon's lust for power caused the Altean’s words to fall on deaf ears.  
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_Alfor spent that night on his knees, praying to Voltron that this storm would pass, that his friend would be returned to him. But alas, it was sadly not to be._

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_Mere weeks later, Zarkon declared war on the other kingdoms. He usurped them quickly with weapons and machines beyond their wildest dreams, catching them unprepared and defenseless. Mercilessly, he claimed Altea then the kingdom of Olkarion, The oceans. He took everything, The world was his to control. In the process he tracked down and killed all of his former friends. Upsetting the balance of the world and poisoning the planet and the people who lived there._

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_He took the talismans as well, now blind in his desperation for power. But here was a small blessing. The talismans refused to be bound to him. Angered, Zarkon tried to destroy them, and was unsuccessful for a second time. In a fit of panic, the Galra emperor had them dispersed to the far corners of the world, so that they may never be brought together again._

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_But even his own talisman was fated to be lost. Alfor’s young daughter, Allura- a good witch and a talented sorceress- along with her mentor, infiltrated the Altean Palace where Zarkon now lived. They stole the talisman and fled into the night._

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___Knowing the Galra would be after them. The witch and warlock combined their powers to hide between realities. They would only return when there was hope for their world to be saved._  
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_Zarkon was enraged at this act. He lashed out on the Alteans, creating a genocide. He no longer was the guardian of the Sky. But he was a ruthless tyrant that left death and destruction in his wake._

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_Voltron watched in horror and his heart broke at what had become of his land. Being torn apart by hatred. He knew there was only one option to save his world now. Giving his life, the god used his soul to create a fifth talisman: The Spirit of the Forest- the Life Giver._

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_Sky gives it air to breathe._

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_Earth gives it a place to take root._

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_Water gives it the nourishment to thrive._

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_Fire gives it the strength to renew itself in times of trouble._

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_The talisman fell to earth in the mystic kingdom of Olkarion. Into the hands of a monastery that was faithfully devoted to the god. One of these monks-who went by the name of Trigel-knew this powerful piece should never be found by the Galra._

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_Trigel entrusted the talisman to a small family to keep it safe. They were not Altean, therefore they would be less likely to be found. And with that the work was done, now all they could do was wait._

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_Ten thousand years went by, waiting for the talismans to find the right people to save Altea and the world. However, what no one expected was for the Spirit of the Forest to fall into the hands of a little girl....._

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	2. I'm apparently vitamin D defencient

Who here loves nature? You know: trees, flowers, babbling brooks. Okay, you have that image? Now, imagine those trees have just spit pollen right in your face. You go to wipe the allergens out of your eyes and you lean against the trunk of the tree, now you've got bark all over you.

Oh, now there's a spider climbing on your shoulder as you stand there. If you're normal, then you want to get away from that little bugger. So you stumble away from the tree, half blind, then trip over a stupid exposed root or a branch and you fall. You fall on those pretty flowers….and the bee that was sitting on one.

Now look at that. You're dirty, in pain, and freaked out of your mind. You try to run away, and that “babbling brook" you were so fond of has a patch of mud you step in. You sink down to your calf, lose your balance, and hit face down in the water; and now on top of everything else, you're soaked- And you probably scraped yourself on the rocks. Yeah. Not so much fun anymore right? And that's nothing compared to what else is out there.

That's just a normal day in my outdoor activities. Nature hates me, so I hate it back. Hi, my name is Katie Holt, and I'm the Guardian of the Forest. Ironic right? I thought so too. But the day I fell down the rabbit hole into wonderland, everything changed…

.....

_Click, click, click click. ___

__I tapped furiously on my laptop, trying to type out the last paragraph on my Finals essay. Sunlight filtered through the closed blinds of my window, casting shadows in little lines across my arms. The May air was warm, so I had a small fan blowing on my face to battle the heat. I smiled as I finished the last sentence about the differences and effects of single and double modulation._ _

__Yeah yeah, I've heard it before: Nerd, Geek, Science Freak- and the ever original Four Eyes. But I love technology okay? There's a specific order everything has to be in, run by the unrelenting way of math. No surprises, no unknowns, just formulas and answers._ _

__I was pulled out of my trance however, as a loud knock broke my concentration. I sighed and pushed away from the computer. Glancing at the digital clock on my nightstand I sighed; the time read 6:25 “Good morning Matt…” I deadpanned, my voice giving him permission to enter._ _

__I knew by the knock it was my older brother. My mom's knocks were soft, and my dad had passed away when I was a baby. But at least he left me a couple things: his love for technology and a little necklace._ _

__Not only did I excel in math and science, I wore the necklace everywhere-even slept in the thing; A simple black cord with a pretty green pendant. There was a strange symbol carved into the face of the stone, which I was asked about a lot. The story was that it was from an native American tribe, but my dad never actually said where it was from before he died._ _

__Anyway, enough of the exposition. I turned in my chair to see the door handle turn. The door opened and my brother’s smiling face peeked in at me. “Morning Katie.” He greeted with a smile, opening the door fully and making his way inside-then proceeded to flop on my bed. “Up all night again?”_ _

__“Yup…” I chirped in reply, gesturing to the screen of my computer. I had gotten used to all-nighters; one of my many talents; I wasn't even tired. “I've pretty much gotten it done. Wanna proofread before I turn it in for Finals?”_ _

__“Sure.” Matt replied with a smile, reaching for the laptop, which I handed him. The glow of the device lit up his face and tawny hair as his amber eyes scanned the screen. Take away the glasses and he'd look like me with short hair._ _

__He smiled and nodded as he finished, handing it back, where I promptly set it back on the desk. “Looks great as always Pidge.” He praised, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he smirked._ _

__“Don't call me that.” I snapped in reply, though I couldn't hide my own small smirk that tugged at my lips. Matt had been calling me Pigeon for years, after a horrific encounter with a flock of pigeons. Yes-PIGEONS. Just another one of my many outdoor misadventures..... Matt was thankfully merciful and shortened it to Pidge, so I don't hate him too much._ _

__“Why did you want to talk with me this early anyway?” I continued. “I doubt it was to look at my essay..”_ _

__Matt chuckled and nodded, “Olia and the others are going camping this weekend, I'm supposed to ask if you wanted to go.”_ _

__I sighed and grimaced, of course that's why he came in. “You know I hate camping….” I retorted, spinning back around to work on turning the essay in. I felt the bed creak then Matt's hands found my shoulders, I could see his puppy-dog-eyed reflection in the screen._ _

__“Please?.....” He begged, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout. For a nineteen year old, the guy acted like a child sometimes. I blame the excessive amount of anime he watches._ _

__I groaned again and laid my head on the desk, making an audible ‘thump’ on the wooden board. “Why do I want to go camping with a bunch of adults?...” I asked him exasperated._ _

__Matt was probably the youngest in his friend group. Olivia Wolfe was a year older than him, Ronald and Nyma,the twins, were twenty two-and knowing them, they'd be bringing alcohol._ _

__“Well, they like you” Matt insisted, shaking my shoulders a little. “And yes- I know you hate the woods, but mom says she thinks it will be good for you. She says your going to ruin your immune system and get a vitamin D deficiency.”_ _

__I scoffed at that, seeing right through the facade. “Mom told you to bring me, didn't she?….” I mumbled in defeat, and Matt's laughter proved my point correct. I slowly raised my head from the desk, and turned my fan off, the cool breeze dying into stillness._ _

__“Can we take Rover?” I asked hopefully, then at least things wouldn't be too awful. My little Shollie-that’s half German Shepherd, half Border Collie- loved the outdoors as much as I despised it. But he loved me even more._ _

__“Of course!” My brother replied with a smile. “Rolo and Nyma are bringing Beezer as well.”_ _

__I nodded, feeling a little more open to the idea. As a dog person, having a couple furry friends would help keep me from worrying about bugs and sunburn and other awful nature stuff._ _

__“I'll start packing” I decided with a sigh, and Matt's face lit up with a grin, crushing me in a hug and making me squeak._ _

__“Awesome!” He cheered, practically lifting my small frame out of the chair as he stood up straight. “You won't regret this Pidge. I promise, this time will be different.”_ _

__I nodded along, humoring him, then pointed to my door. “Okay, sounds good-now out.” I commanded and he let go of me, my body plopping back in the seat._ _

__He winked at me then spun on his heel, heading out. “Oh, mom says come down for breakfast by the way. You'll be late for class again.”_ _

__“Okay.” I answered, dismissing him, and he closed the door. I let out a puff of air and brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Well this will be fun…” I thought aloud to myself sarcastically. I didn't believe Matt at the time that things would be different, but I was in for a world of shock that coming weekend._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the first chapter! The ball is rolling now. 
> 
> For those still confused here's Matt's friend group. I used their canon names as nicknames. As well as their ages. 
> 
> Katie: 16  
> Matt:19  
> Olivia Wolfe- Olia: 20  
> Ronald- Rolo: 22  
> And Nyma is still Nyma: 22


	3. Not your average camping trip

You would have thought that such a momentous event would have more hype. A week either flying by or crawling along in anticipation- but it didn't. The week passed like normal. School ended on Wednesday. We went on errands Thursday. Then on Friday, Matt and I packed up his truck and left for the campsite. 

I sat in the back seat staring out the window the whole drive there. Rover was curled up beside me while I absently ran my fingers through his fur, watching trees and hills fly by the truck. 

“Are we there yet?....” I grumbled as the vehicle tilted upwards, making it's trek up the mountain side. Matt opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when we hit a bump; the jerk of the cabin caused Rover's head to shoot up in alarm. 

Matt chuckled as I pulled my dog to my chest, scratching behind his ears and laughing myself. “It's alright Rover.” I cooed with a smile, the shollie relaxing and laying in my lap. 

“Almost Pidge” my brother replied with a smirk, looking back at me in the rearview mirror. I rolled my eyes at the nickname once again and returned to looking out the window. 

What felt like a endless amount of time later, the ground leveled out and the truck came to a stop. Matt parked the vehicle and jumped out. 

Through the windshield I could see our camp, it was just a set of tents around a campfire, food tied from trees in order to keep animals away, and candles that repel mosquitoes surrounded the perimeter of the camp. I suddenly had the urge to steal the keys and drive back home. 

Instead, I reluctantly took off my seatbelt and opened the back door. Rover bounded off my lap and darted into the thicket, barking. He was answered quickly by another dog barking and Beezer shot back into the camp, Rover at his heels. 

I climbed out of the truck and slammed the door, only stopping to grab my backpack before I trudged towards the fire. Let Matt unpack, this was his idea anyway….

I felt a hand run through my hair playfully, messing up the long locks. Quickly, I batted the assailant away only to hear Rolo’s rough laugh.

“How ya doin’ kid?” He asked with a smirk. I just rolled my eyes and stared back into the cold fire pit, imagining there was actually a fire to look at. 

“Give her a second Rolo.” Matt called amused from behind me, it sounded like his voice was strained, carrying something heavy. Glancing over my shoulder I realized that was correct as he and Olia worked together to carry a cooler off the truck bed. 

“I don't need a second Matt” I retorted hotly, but that just caused the others to be even more amused. I really hated it here. 

Not soon enough our tent was pitched and I retreated inside. Rover was at my side- having gotten tired of Beezer- and I leaned against him, using the dog as a pillow. 

Matt and his friends were still sitting by the now lit fire. The sun had just started to go down and it was obvious they weren't going to bed any time soon. 

“Why did I agree to this again?..” I mumbled, turning my phone on to see the dreaded 'no service’ alert pop up in my face. I groaned and turned the device back off, it was just a heap of useless glass and plastic now. 

Rover nuzzled my head and I let out a sigh, tilting my head back to press a kiss to the dog's forehead. “Thanks for staying in here with me” I murmured, petting his ear while the happy thump of a tail hit the tent wall repeatedly. Even that little movement brought a smile to my face and I rolled my eyes, snuggling up against the furry side once more.

I closed my eyes and drifted off, I could still hear my brother's voice fill the night air along with his friends. They sounded drunk. It wasn't until around two in the morning did Matt crawl into our tent, waking me from my slumber and passing out in his sleeping bag. 

The movement woke Rover up as well, but the dog wasn't as quiet as I was. He was whimpering, a sound I recognized as his potty whine.

I mentally cursed and outwardly groaned. I did not want to go outside in the middle of the night to let the dog pee. But duty calls and I slowly sat up, crawling out of my sleeping bag then out of the tent. 

I held the tent flap open for Rover and the shollie shot out like a bullet into the trees, still whining. I zipped the tent up again, not wanting any bugs to get inside while I was gone, then followed Rover into the forest. 

It was pitch black out, no lights for miles. Luckily my eyes had already adjusted and I could see fairly well. Though that didn't stop my from accidentally tripping over a fallen log and scraping my hands. Nature: 577 Katie Holt: 0. 

I followed Rover deeper into the woods, and then watched him find a spot to do his business. Dude, there are a million trees here, just pick one! 

I sighed and leaned against the truck of another tree, staring at the darkened campsite as to not lose track of it. Knowing me, that was bound to happen sooner or later; let's have it be sometime I wasn't wandering around in the middle of the night. 

I felt something nudge my hand and i glanced down to see Rover staring back up at me, mouth open and tail wagging. I smiled and rubbed the top of his head, feeling a little better with him by my side. 

That's when I heard a twig snap. No, not a twig- a small branch. It sounded much too big for a twig. Being alone in the middle of the wood caused me to panic and I hit the deck, dropping to the ground and pressing my back against the tree trunk. I grabbed Rover and pulled him to my chest, praying he would be quiet; thankfully he was. 

The snapping came again, closer to the camp now. From my angle I couldn't see the camp anymore, but I saw orbs of lights bouncing over the bushes. Lanterns lighting up the faces of horrid monsters. 

My eyes bugged open and I bit my lip hard, drawing blood, to keep from making a noise. Usually Rover would be struggling in my grip but the dog stayed as still as I was, watching the newcomers. 

There was about six of them. Massive hulking figures trekking towards the tents. At first I thought they were masks, something a group of teens had on to scare Matt and his friends. But then I saw the purple fur and the grey rocky skin. Unless they were on steroids and had body suits on, these weren't people. 

I heard grunts and growls, then there was the sound of someone screaming. Nyma. Only seconds later, the whole area was in chaos. Nyma and Olia were screaming, I heard Rolo shout Matt's name. But I never heard my brother. Then the figures started running, straight towards me. 

I ducked down closer to the tree trunk, Rover basically laying on top of me. I was thankful for his black fur, it helped hide my own pale green and white tee. Holding my breath, I saw the monsters past right me. But I almost cried out in horror when I saw a familiar body slung over one of the things’ shoulder. Matt. They were taking Matt. 

I bit my lip harder, tears swelling in my eyes as I watched helplessly as these creatures kidnapped my brother. In the dim light of the lanterns, I saw a flash of metal as Matt's glasses fell off his face and hit the dirt. 

Rover whimpered a bit and I froze, the lumbering of the creatures standing still. The only thing I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears and my heart pounding. Then the tension broke and the creatures continued onwards, not hearing anything out of the ordinary. Only a few moments later, they were gone.

I don't really know how long I sat there, trying to understand what I just saw. I heard the roar of car engines as Matt's friends fled the scene, no doubt to head for the nearest police station. 

Slowly, I unlatched myself from Rover, the dog whimpering a bit. With great effort I managed to stumble to my feet and hesitantly picked up my brother's glasses. They had been stepped on, the lenses cracked and broken out of the frame. The thin metal was bent, but after a few moments of fiddling with it, the frames became wearable. 

I slipped the glasses into my pocket then looked out into the darkness. I knew I couldn't wait for help, Matt would be long gone, so I did the first thing I thought of. I followed after my brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh man sorry this took so long! But now we're finally getting underway! The Galra have Matt and Katie knows she has to take action! 
> 
> Thank you for being so patient and hopefully the next chapter won't take so long.

**Author's Note:**

> And here we are! The ball is now rolling for the fantasy/adventure story to take place! And for the record, most of the chapters will be longer than this, I usually do about 1,000 words per writing if not longer. 
> 
> Just as a heads up, I couldn't really remember if Trigel was an Olkari, but it fit well with the story so I had her be one anyway. It will make sense later X3


End file.
